International Co-Pro ‘The Breadwinner’ Enters Production

Canada’s Aircraft Pictures, Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon and Luxembourg’s Melusine Productions in association with Angelina Jolie Pitt’s Jolie Pas Productions have begun key animation on 2D animated feature The Breadwinner. Based on the internationally acclaimed young adult novel by Canadian author Deborah Ellis, the film is due to be completed in Summer 2017.

Directed by Nora Twomey (co-director of Oscar nominee The Secret of Kells) with screen story by Ellis and screenplay by Anita Doron, The Breadwinner is the story of a young girl named Parvana living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, who must disguise herself as a boy in order to work and support her family when her father is unfairly imprisoned. A story of self-empowerment and imagination in the face of oppression, the film also celebrates the culture, history and beauty of Afghanistan.

The Breadwinner’s voice cast includes many performers of Afghan descent. The roster is lead by Saara Chaudry (Max & Shred) as Parvana, Soma Bhatia (Degrassi: Next Class) as Shauzia, Laara Sadiq (Remedy) as Parvana’s mother, Fattema; Ali Badshah (The Cat in the Hat) as Parvana’s father, Nurullah; Shaista Latif (This Is the Life) as her sister Soraya; and Kawa Ada (Jihad Gigolo) as Razaq.

The Breadwinner will be produced with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund, the Irish Film Board, Film Fund Luxembourg, Mimi Gitlin Productions, The Shaw Rocket Fund, Artemis Rising Foundation, The Broadcast Authority of Ireland, The Ontario Media Development Corporation, The Harold Greenberg Fund, RTE, Movie Central, The Movie Network (a division of Bell Media), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit. Financiers Mimi Polk Gitlin and Regina K. Scully (Artemis Rising) join as executive producers.